Angel and the Heart of Christmas
by writergirl142
Summary: It's Christmas once again and Angel is not sure where she belongs. After everything she did, how can the Guardians ever forgive her? As the Pole comes alive during Jaiden Frost's birth, Angel tries to wrap her mind around the fact that the Guardians, especially North, can possibly see her as a good person again. Can Terra and North convince her that she isn't evil anymore?


**This oneshot takes place during the same time as our oneshot from 2014. It's what a couple of other characters were doing while Casey had her baby and Snow learned what her parents had been hiding from her.**

 **This entire oneshot was completely typed up by my friend, MistyLilyValley, but we came up with how it went down together.**

Two pairs of eyes watched as the Northern Lights stretched out across the wintry arctic night as the vibrant rainbow painted the sky with its shimmering colors. In the pane of her son's window, Angel felt the breath of her sigh coat the glass with a frosty glimmer. Clenching the long sleeves of her winter robe, she stepped back into the slight shadows of the overhanging curtain as she felt the dual lock of her son notice her hesitation.

"Mom?" her son's voice asked as she turned away, closing her eyes as she sat down in the rocking chair and clenched the familiar cross-moon pendant around her neck.

It was Christmas Eve, or (more specifically) the eve of Nicholas S. North's departure to deliver toys. To spare her the worry of doing anything since she was his guest, North had arranged the traditional Guardians' party to be that night. All the elves and yetis were already making and setting up the decorations for the party, but at the question, of whether or not she would be joining them for the festivities, Angel had shamefully bolted from North's invitation and locked herself in her son's room. The fear of what she had done as _Angel Moon_ followed her like a shadow, a living nightmare that coated her very sanity even though she knew she was in the light of those who forgave her in the end.

" _Christmas_. _I remember …"_ Angel said in a very small voice, her teary gaze looking up to see the edges of the Man in the Moon's home poke out from one of the outermost edges of the dancing northern lights.

Knowing what was really bothering his mother, Castor sat at the foot of his bed to put a hand atop his mother's trembling one as she silently cried. "Mom, you have to stop this. You can't keep living this _fear_ inside of you. Look at what it almost did to _you_ , what _He_ did to you …"

Castor knew he didn't have to finish as the both of them locked adamant eyes in thought of their past tormentor. In Castor's case, Castor always knew that Pitch was never his Father, but he had never knew of his mother's Guardian self until he had started to piece together the clues of her past that helped to save her in the past year from the Guardians' confrontation. Ultimately, with Castor's help, the Guardians found compassion and a solution in saving not only the world but also one of their most treasured friends, too.

Deciding to stay at the Pole for a while, North had graciously given them refuge in the upper dormitories of his workshop, where one of which remained immaculately untouched as the older of the two found herself mostly comfortable in the privacy of her only son's room. This was largely due to the fact that Castor had remained by choice a regular constant in her life, even in her many days as the _Mistress of Deception and Doubt_ , a title that Pitch had continually slammed into her tortured mind that had initially set her on her path of betrayal, hurt, and destruction long ago.

Hearing the heavy footsteps of his Father come down the hall, Castor patted his mother's trembling hand one more time to say lightly, _"Mom, this is a new start for all of us … Are you going to be ok?"_

Before she found any words to answer, Castor heard a soft knock on his door as he got to his feet and opened it to see who it was. Barely out the door, he stopped as he looked up to see the relevance in North's warm yet concerned gaze as they exchanged concerns in quiet whispers. Meanwhile, Angel found herself drawn back to the window as she stood up to wreathe her fingertips into the coral drapes as the moon filled her eyes as she heard her son's and North's words in passing.

" _Dad, I'm trying,"_ Castor said, giving his father a small frown as North only gave his son a fond pat on the shoulder in reply as he grinned back into his son's dual set of eyes, one brown to match his mother's and the other blue.

As North's gaze exchanged between Angel absently standing in the window and back to his son's grateful gaze, North only chuckled as he told him, "That's all we can do, my Son. Your friends are here. Why don't you go see if they need any help?"

"Yes, Sir," He said gently, casting a concerned look once more over his shoulder at his mother. Finally, he followed his father's advice down the hallway and took the elevator shaft down into the workshop itself.

Sighing, North allowed his son to go as he paused at the door, wondering if he should go in or not, but a thoughtful tune caught his ears as his blue eyes peered in past the cracked door to see his love press her hands against the pane in thought as she sang out …

 _"_ Oh, _Where are you Christmas?_ _  
_ _Why can't I find you?  
Why have you gone away?_  
Oh, _where is the laughter_ _  
_ _You used to bring me?  
Why can't I hear music play?_

 _My world is changing_ _  
_ _I'm rearranging  
Does that mean Christmas changes too?_

 _Where are you Christmas?_ _  
_ _Do you remember  
The one you used to know?  
I'm not the same one  
See what the time's done  
Is that why you have let me go …?"_

Her voice trailing off, she felt a gentle hand take hers as she looked up into North's kind blue eyes as she found herself simply smiling back as he hugged her around her shoulders in a slow gesture to say he held no judgment. Instead, he calmly said, "Mary, the invitation is still open if you want to join us downstairs. I meant it. I truly did."

" _Mary,_ you've always called me that."Sighing, Angel found herself not wanting to hide anything from her past love as she returned the open communication with a rare yet sincere smile. "I know, North. And, I appreciate the invitation. I really do. I'm just not sure I would be …"

"You would be welcome," North said, assuring her as he turned her around to see out the pane where they both could see some of the other Guardian kids running and gathering around just short of the door as they both saw some of the other Guardians arrive, too.

"Even after what all I did?" She found the words escape from her trembling lips before she knew it, her hand covering them as soon as she blushed in realization.

For an answer, North said nothing as he just jovially chuckled, surprising her as he swept her off her feet and twirled her around the small room before he gave her a kiss that told her that he had forgiven her actions a long time ago. Releasing her, Mary saw the sparkle of sadness that still lingered in his baby blue eyes that had released a tear down his rosy cheek as he quickly wiped it away to look at her.

" _Mary,_ you don't know how much it meant to me when you came back into my life. You even gave me a _Son_ ," he said, fondly thinking of Castor.

"One I never even had the courage to tell you about before I …" Angel said with a sad tone before North shook his head at her.

"It doesn't matter, not anymore," he said, watching her smile again. "All of that is in the past. What's important now is the future."

Looking into her brown eyes, he mysteriously put a hand behind his back as he said, "Do you remember that first Christmas we met …?"

"North!" Both of them heard as a shrill voice ran up the hall and stopped right outside.

Hearing an abrupt knocking on the door, the couple drew back from each other before North pulled open the door to reveal a disheveled Terra followed by two extremely nervous yeti.

"Terra, what is all this about …?"

"No time!" Terra said, pulling her friend out past the door and pointed down into the infirmary, where both of them saw Windsong and Jack rushing Casey into the door as she was being carried by a very bedraggled Jack Frost.

"Is it …?" North hesitated to say before Terra affirmed his worries with a head nod. Hurrying past her, he said, "I'm on my way!" Stopping short of the elevator, North remembered Mary as she stepped out of her room and watched him nudge at something in his pocket as she just shook her head in understanding.

" _North, go. I'll be ok_ ," Angel found herself saying as he lovingly looked back at her. As he rushed down the elevator lift, she turned to see the amused yet tired look of her mentor as she warmly chuckled. "What?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen _that smile_ ," Terra said, taking her pupil's hands in her own and gave her a motherly sigh in sympathy. "How are you?"

" _How am I_? That's a big question," Angel reflected as she meet her mentor's gaze. Looking up, she saw that the yetis had left them alone as they both mingled in the hall, alone. "I mean, I feel like I don't even know _myself_ anymore."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked her gently as she stopped mid-step, watching as Angel pushed open the idle door to her room and went inside. Lifting her gaze to look over her limp shoulders, she pulled off her wooly robe to see the limp white set of feathers that draped down her back like a ragged old cloak.

"What did Manny see in me that night, Terra?" Angel asked her mentor as she weakly unfurled her magnificent wings in the dim light that her untouched room provided as she sat down. "I mean, when I ultimately lost _both_ of my parents, I felt so lost. I tried to run away that night, that very same night long ago when Manny made me into _this_. I was _nothing_!"

"That's not true," Terra reminded her, taking a seat across from her as she lifted up her chin for her to meet her gaze. "Angel, that night when you were chosen was no accident!"

"What if it was?" She sniffed, looking up to see the same compassionate look Terra always gave her when she knew she just needed to be heard. "Everything was so confusing after my Father died, and then I finally found that peace with my Mother. That night I lost her, I felt like the whole world had cracked under my feet. They were gone: Everything I had was gone. I didn't even know _who I was_."

"You were the _light_ of their lives. That fact was true," Terra said, hoping that her pupil would hear the words and see that it was true. "Memories and experiences, they can play a part that makes us who we are on the inside. You, my dear, were an inspiration even back then as much as you are now."

"But I betrayed all of you!" Angel said, finally getting to the heart of her guilt. "How can you all just forgive me? I still don't understand that."

"We've all made mistakes, Angel! We all have, including me," Terra said, standing in the light so that her pupil could, too, see the stream of falling tears that pooled down her eyes in sympathy and fault. "Not all of us can be perfect. I could have taught you more, or done a little of this or that better. What I'm trying to say is … When you disappeared, the Guardians told _me_ what happened: What _Manny_ kept from me that night. I thought I had failed you. I didn't know what became of you that night after you confided in me that … Well, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Angel said, the truth all too clear in her mind. "The lie was that Pitch promised me a lot of things, and I was naïve enough to believe him."

Even Terra was silent for a moment as the beginning murmurs of the party reached their ears from downstairs. Seeing the hesitancy in her friend's eye, Terra watched as Angel put away her wings and picked up a hand mirror to stare into her sad and pale reflection. Finally, her mentor had enough!

"Alright, that's it!" Terra said, striding over to move aside Angel's mirror until she had her pupil's complete attention.

"What is _it_?" Angel asked, completely confused as Terra gently pulled her off of her seat and pushed her behind the dressing screen. "Terra!"

"Trust me, dear," Terra said, passing her a dress from the wardrobe and stepped out to give her a moment to change. Speaking from behind the screen, she continued, "You need to let go of the past! You have your whole future ahead of you now. Pitch is not here to make you feel like you are nothing … and never will be _anymore_. Let me be the first to say this, please … I'm glad you're back. _I mean that,_ Mary, with all my heart."

" _Mary_ ," was all Angel could say as she quickly changed into the green holiday dress that Terra had pushed into her hands. Stepping out, Angel looked down at her hands and clenched them desperately in thought. Feeling Terra behind her, she slowly let out a breath as she felt her friend run a smooth crystal brush through her long flowing brown tresses, her faded wings falling to settle onto her back like a hooded winged cape. "Terra … Even you were among the few who called me _Mary_ , my real name. Do you think that the others would …?" She faltered.

"No, they wouldn't care," Terra agreed as she knew what was going through her pupil's mind. Stepping back to be in the light of her husband's moon ray, Terra assured her, "The name is only an alias, an identity you were originally given at that time. The decision to use it … That falls with you. _We_ only want your happiness, _Mary_."

For the first time that night, Angel felt herself inwardly grin as she chose this time to shed happy tears as Terra held her lightly and encouraged her to enjoy tonight. " _Just be yourself, and the rest will follow,"_ were her mentor's parting words as she stepped out to give her Angel some privacy to think.

 _Be myself_ , Angel thought, deciding to relinquish her self-doubts for the night. Standing to smile out the window, she lifted the latch to let in the wintry breeze as she felt the frost settle on her cheeks and freeze the last of the tears that ran down her cheek. Turning towards the door, she grabbed her gold head wreath from her bed table and put it on her waiting brow.

Meanwhile downstairs, Castor had just joined the festivities downstairs when he heard Luna arrive, the daughter of Terra and the Man in the Moon, and barely moved aside in time to let her and Nightlight by.

"Hey, where's my hug?" She called over to Snow before the little salt-and-pepper haired girl turned around to give her a hug. Snow's cousin, Blaze Summer, watched her in pride as Luna felt how warm Snow's hug was and gave him a warning smirk.

"What are you doing here?" Snow asked her with a smile as Nightlight gladly released his armful of present down by the tree and fell tiredly backward into a chair as Luna just blew aside her auburn locks and giggled at him.

 _"_ _Well,_ I just thought I would just stop by and help pass out the Christmas presents, trim the tree, that sort of thing …" Luna went to say as her right hand remained behind her back and held lightly onto a small blue wrapped package in glittery sparkles.

"Presents?" Snow asked, her heterochromatic blue eyes shimmering in excitement. "Where?"

"Well, they're right over there," Luna said, starting to point over to the spot where Nightlight had dropped the off the gifts before they heard Castor choose that very moment to step into the room.

Dressed all in green, in contrast to North's red suit, Castor just walked forward in his black boots and crossed his arms in meaning as he spoke up, "Ah, did someone say 'presents?' Cause I'm pretty sure that's my Dad's sort of thing."

Throwing him a glittery box for him to hold, Luna just laughed off his interruption and answered back, "Well, Castor, didn't they tell you that this is the season for giving? It's not just about waking up and getting gifts from Santa Claus under the tree!"

Before he could say anything else, they were both interrupted as Snow begged to open the gift that Luna had given her. With a smile, Luna assured her, "Of course you can open it, Snow. Everyone's entitled to least one gift on Christmas Eve. Go on and open it. It's from me."

Seeing Snow falter, Castor paused from opening his present to look up to see his Mother standing in the shadow of the hall and listened as Snow said, "But I didn't get you anything …"

To Snow's bewilderment, Luna told her, "Yes Snow, you did. You gave me _your friendship_ and _your trust_ when I told you the truth. Snow, that's more special to me than any small gift that can wrapped in trimmings or bows. In fact, that sort of gift is given generously and without price. You don't know how much that makes you special, Snow, especially when you're surrounded by the friends and family whom you love and who love you in return."

As Snow cried, Luna just embraced her once more as she pulled away to watch Snow open her gift, which was a crystalized snowflake on a charm bracelet.

Castor amusingly watched the other kids josh each other's gifts as in passing he felt Cloud's (Windsong's oldest daughter) hand press his wrist in a gesture of hello as she joined her sister over by the fire to rest.

"What did you get?" Angel asked her son from behind as he turned around to reveal a crystalized sword in its hilt on a keychain. "That's cute."

"Cute?" He said, chuckling at it and clenching it gently as he slid into his pocket to take his mother's hand and brought her into the room, where she immediately felt everyone's eye, including Snow's. Observing the youngest of the Guardians' kids, she watched as Snow backed away a few feet before she felt the calming hand of Luna distract her back down into their conversation.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Angel asked her son, to which his ears automatically perked up as almost everyone heard the wail of a baby pass into the room. "Oh …"

In the midst of the moment, the rest of the Guardians (including Sandy, Bunnymund, Narain, Terra, Taylor, and Saige) soon joined the others and bought in the snacks. This included North who appeared behind them and greeted Angel with a peck on the cheek and greeted his son with a proud hand on his shoulder, making him crown a grateful smile.

"Wait, where is my Mom and Dad?" Snow demanded to know of everyone as she then heard the click of a hidden door to reveal Windsong (the mother of Dusty, Solar, and Cloud), who nodded to North that everything was alright.

Meeting Snow's eye, she asked her, "Snow, do you want to come and see your baby brother?"

The whole room froze as Snow processed the information, saying, "What? My … my … baby brother?" Turning to the whole room, she heard the whole room buzz with congratulations, including Angel's as she watched her love cross the room when Snow asked, "Did you all know about this?"

"Yes, Snow, we all did," North said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now, shall we go see your parents?"

"Yes, please," Snow answered as she followed North and Windsong into the tiny infirmary room, to which North held open the door for her to go in and join them. After about a minute, Windsong and North left them alone as they exited the room silently.

Joined by Angel, North just sighed in contentment as Windsong announced to her and the whole room, "It was a successful delivery. It's a boy."

"I didn't know," Angel said, feeling some of the guilt of her past with the Guardians come to the surface as she felt a tender touch on her shoulder in reply. Looking up, she was met with a wise yet friendly smile from the Guardians' recent elder member of Belief.

"Don't blame yourself," was all Song had to say before the smile returned to Angel's face. "It was a wonderful gift for Casey and Jack, especially for little Snow."

No more words had to be said for Angel to discern what Song was really saying, so with just a peaceful "Merry Christmas" between them, Windsong left her and North alone as she joined her husband, Sandy, and her kids by the fire.

Pulling Angel away from the rest of the room, North brought out a small box out of his big coat pocket and held it out to his love with the words, "Now, it is time for your gift."

"Mine?" Angel said, opening the old cardboard bundle in silver trim and gasped. Inside, a tiny wood doll immaculately carved and hand-painted rested in a delicate case as she took it out and read on the side, " _Mary, Merry Christmas …_ The date is … You kept it all these years," she whispered, her hand going to her cross-moon pendant.

"I did," North said, surprised as she sat the tiny doll in the box down. "What's wrong?"

"But I have nothing for you," she said, this time surprised as North broke out in near laughter and surprised her as he lifted her up and carried her out of the room bridal-style.

"You being here is the greatest gift for me," North told her as he carried her out of the Globe room, past the workshop and the elves, and even past the yetis as he sat her down in the seat of the sleigh and received his burly coat from the side of the reins. "However, there is something else you could join me on."

Looking behind her at the full bag of toys and the eager hoof-beats of the reindeer, Angel couldn't contain her joy as she sat up and wrapped her arms around North as he slid in by her on the other side.

"Hold on tight. _You might want to buckle up for this_ ," North said, finally letting her on to the new addition in the sleigh. Flashing the reins, he clicked the sleigh into motion and off they went together into the night, where Castor watched them with a smile as he waved from the sleigh shed door.

Inwardly Angel felt herself freed in a way she couldn't describe as she joined her love as the sleigh finally took into the air. With a laugh, she leaned in and sung her heart up to moon rays that followed their past …

 _"_ _Christmas is here,_ _  
_ _Everywhere, oh  
Christmas is here,  
If you care, oh"_

" _If there is love in your heart and your mind,"_ North joined in with her as together they continued, " _You will feel like Christmas all the time!"_

 _"_ _Oh, I feel you Christmas_ _  
_ _I know I've found you  
You never fade away, oh  
The joy of Christmas  
Stays here inside us, and  
Feels each and every heart with love"_

Nestling in the sleigh securely, she looked up to North and recited, " _Where are you Christmas? You fill my heart with love …_ "

 **What did you guys think? Review and let us know!**


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